5.13.2012

we're all mothers.

me and my mom started off our mother's day by doing a workout.
holla.  that's so me and my mom!
after all these years, she's still got it :)

today, for mothers day, i made two new recipes
{both are tim tebow's family favorites!}
one was pizza pie, and the other was a rice crispy ice cream pie.
they were both really good, but there is perfecting to do.

my grandparents also called today wondering if their support letter got lost in the mail.
uh, i didn't send one.  talk about awkward.
i was just trying to make sure they didn't feel obligated to give because they do such a good job making sure they do things evenly for the grand kids.
but they explained that this was different because i had earned through hard work and dedication the ability to be able to do medical missions.
it was great to hear i have their support.

the sermon today was about all women being mothers.
and from the moment we're born we're nurturing and just know how to be compassionate.
it was so encouraging to hear. 
we talked about leaving a legacy and being like hannah in 1 samuel.
i had recently studied her in a bible study so it was great to go back to the story.
she was barren for a while and promised God that if she was given a child she would give her child to the Lord. 
there were times when she was in the temple literally weeping out of pain.
and i feel just so connected with her because i have wept before over the fact i don't have kids.

i know i still have a lot of time, but it is such a desire of my heart. 
and if it had been up to me, i would be a mom by now.
well hannah eventually conceives with samuel and God is faithful--on His time.
and i know that while i think i know best, i know i don't.
and His timing will be so much more perfect than anything i could imagine!
i just need to wait.

i can't wait for the day i get to personally celebrate Mother's day, but am so thankful for all the people {along with my mom} that have been 'moms' to me or shown me great examples of how to be a Biblical mom.  
i am beyond blessed.

5.12.2012

braggin.

can i just brag a little bit about my God?
ok, cool.  cause i'm gonna anyway :).

let me just start by saying that the other night, hearing about elizabeth's trip was so bitter sweet.
i am so discouraged for her and yet so blessed.
what i was worried about with her trip ended up happening.
i had prayed so much about this haiti thing, and when i acted with what i though the Lord wanted me to do {regardless of knowing she would have been, and was, hurt with the decision of not choosing her trip} He totally blessed that decision.

and the real bragging comes here.
i had $600 that needed to be put in the mail TODAY.
as of thursday i only had $375.
guess how much came in the stinking mail on FRIDAY alone?!
$200.  making me only $25 shy of my first deadline.
like, OK, He is just showing off that He is so beyond and bigger than any amount of money.
i'm gonna go ahead and give God all the glory for that one.
it was also another reassuring thing regarding this trip.

and tonight i get a txt from my mom saying this:
'our neighbor amy has a senior college boy renting her house from tennessee.  just arrived.  super polite. coming over to andrew's soon.  working at owens corning this summer.  maybe he is christian since he is from bible belt??'

only my mother.
who then proceeded to talk.his.ear.off all night.
she means to be friendly, but i'm sure he's a bit overwhelmed.
and i'm sure he didn't absorb about 99.999% of the things she said LOL.
love that woman!

5.11.2012

immunizations.

there hasn't been one thing i've done that i don't love at my job.
but today?  i gave immunizations to some babies.
and i've found something i don't like.  
i hate needles myself, so maybe that's why i feel so bad.
but i would be OK if i never did one again.

and today i was taking a girls temperature.
she was 5, and they get 4 shots at that age.
i told her this wouldn't hurt, to which she replies:
"this won't hurt....but my immunizations will"
so stinking cute!  even knowing the pain was coming.

i love my job.  let me say it again and again.
just so great.  
i get to work tomorrow and hope it's good :).

heard from abbey a. and she got the new job!
and heard from amanda c. today.
i just love my friends and love life.
can't it be summertime forever?! 

5.10.2012

wanted {or not}. and haiti.

today i found out that dr. killion and er family are good friends with my aunt susie and uncle dave!
what a small world it is.  

i've been in love with this song 'wanted' by hunter hays. 
it is so soothing and cute.  i just love it and it has definitely been on repeat. 

tyler and i got in a tiff last night.
she didn't even contact me till after 9 pm last night to hang out.
i am just sick of feeling like i'm not a priority and that i'm a burden to my best friend.
it's been going on for a while and just gets hard to keep letting it go.
i won't see her for a month, which is becoming a norm now-a-days.
she certainly doesn't make me feel 'wanted' LOL.

also, found out last night that elizabeth's haiti trip is falling through.
it is the week before classes, which can't really happen with our presentations.
it was so encouraging to see how the Lord provided.
it was so unbelievably hard to tell her i wasn't going on her trip, but i see how the Lord blessed my decision by listening to what i felt He wanted me to do.
i'm praying that things can work out with her trip 
{our trip already has tickets so we can't add her--i've already asked}
God totally had His hand on the situation. 
i love when i get to see the outcomes that worked for my better {when it was kind hard to see at the time}.

i'm loving my work.  still.
it's wonderful and i love learning new stuff.
i just wish i knew it all already :). 
and i just wish it didn't make me so tired!

it's not even 9 pm and i'm off to bed!

5.09.2012

happy 22nd bday bishop!

this post is well over do!  
this past weekend we celebrated bishop's 22nd birthday.
it was so fun and doubled as a cinco de mayo par-tay.
i just love these group of people.
i know i can hang out with them and it's all safe and fun.
i had a great time getting to talk to some of the women i'm just meeting.
i am beyond thankful for them and hope there are many more in the future :)

at one point jeremiah, mitch, brook and andrea were throwing coals in the yard.
it was funny {and cool} to see the little red coals flying in the air.

{all the ladies!}

{haha so fun}

{me and the bday girl}

so thankful for bishop and her heart. 
i just can't wait to spend more time with her this summer!

5.06.2012

the 4th half.

this past weekend was my 4th half marathon.
and boy, besides my first one ever, it was the worst

i started off thinking that i would pray when i felt defeated.
i would pray for different friends, people i bbsit for, family, friends, ect.
and then i realized i needed much prayer during the race too haha.
but praying was hard, i'll be honest. 
i couldn't keep my thought process long enough to think what i wanted.
but when 'baby' came on, i prayed for the Orten girls. to love Him and follow Him.

i started off beasting it, running all around 8:55 pace.
i was going to PR if i kept that pace, and i was following a girl who was wicked consistent.
but at about mile 3 i knew i would not be able to keep that pace {it was real humid}
so at around 7 i had to pee sooo bad and had to stop.
i let this woman {who i found out was named april} just go do her thing.
from that point, i wanted to stop and just cry.
i wasn't going to PR and just felt so defeated.
i was in pain and was reminded why i don't race by myself.

around mile 7.5 i started running with a woman, named kristy.
she is a mom of three and 33 yrs old. she even went to mt union back in the day!
we both started off too fast and were so beat.
so we ran the rest together, and had it not been for her, i wouldn't have finished.
i would have walked, but i knew she wasn't going to wait for me if i stopped LOL.

but i finished, in 2:03:43.
and felt every minute of it.
but i was barely tired that night so it was all mental.
i slowed down significantly the last half of it and averaged 9:20 pace.
not great, but not my goal at all. 

molly felt the same way and ashley, too.
it was just a hard race for all.
so i'll do another one someday--NOT alone!
i am glad it's done, and can't believe i survived.

i run cause i love the running community.
they're awesome and it's brought me to so many people i wouldn't have met otherwise.
and if it hasn't been for april (who i saw at the end and told her thanks.  she sprained her ancle and ended up finishing around when i did so i should have stuck with her) and kristy, my race wouldn't have been even what it was.
love that type of 'family'.  there is nothing like it!

{before the race.  i was drenched in sweat after!}

afterwards, i found bobby and stuck with him.
when molly and ashley finished, we were to meet them at the end.
well we spent almost 1.5 hours trying to find them!
it was like finding people in the 1990s {as bobby observed} haha.
we ended up using 3 different peoples phones; calling dad to get john's number, and then having him try to find ashley's number. 
eventually we got a hold of them and just met at the car.
it was kinda funny and i'm soo glad that i was with bobby.
had i not been with him i would have been screwed!

but i am thankful i can run and use my body.
and i love that my bro and SIL are so hospitable.
the 4th one is under my belt!  onto the 5th :)

5.03.2012

9 months.

it's been 4 days since i started working and my eye has been twitching all day.
does that give you a bit of an indication how i'm doing?!
LOL.  i'm tired.  mainly because i'm not used to getting up early {and still sleep deprived from exam week/end of semester business}
i am learning a lot but it is also overwhelming.
my legs get tired cause we're on them all.day.long.
but i have to remind myself it hasn't been a week yet, and i'm doing just fine.

also, i started my medication for my latent TB on monday.
it is a medication and a vitamin that i take for a whopping 9 months.
9 months!  i could have a baby in that time....
and to put it in perspective, i'll almost be done with college by the time i finish.
and the whole time i can't have any alcohol. 
not that i ever drink alcohol, but now i can't.
so when my friends turn 21 this summer and even on new year's {which i didn't even have campaign this past year} i have to opt out. i can't even try new things! 
i just (semi recently) turned 21 here, people!
i am in the mode where i get to try things.  but not now.
oh well.  i'm sure the time will go really fast!
and oh the up side, it will prep me for motherhood someday :). 

the last couple days, i've been a bit overwhelmed.  
was talking some money things and man! malone is expensive!
why did i choose there again!?  lol.
no, i know why.  it's just hard to remember.
basically, i need to bust my booty to make money this summer.
so please pray that the Lord provides jobs to do that ASAP.
and pray that i can seek His wisdom and be lead by His Spirit so clearly.